Which rule states that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence?

• A. Law of Refraction
• B. Law of Dispersion
• C. Law of Reflection
• D. Law of Color

Answer: (C)

When light hits a smooth surface, it reflects in such a way that the angle it makes with the line perpendicular to the surface (the normal) is the same on both sides of the surface. This is the Law of Reflection. It explains why mirrors produce symmetric, predictable reflections: the incoming ray, the reflected ray, and the normal all lie in one plane, with equal angles relative to that normal. This is different from refraction, which involves bending as light passes into a different medium and changes speed (described by Snell’s law); dispersion, which is the spreading of light into colors due to different speeds of wavelengths; and color, which is a property of light related to wavelength. The rule that directly states equal incidence and reflection angles is the Law of Reflection.